The New Cousin
by Star Madison
Summary: A cousin of Syaoran's comes to Japan to help him. She is a bit of a rebel. It starts when Syaoran is a baby.
1. The Birth of Syaoran Li

I do not own Card Captor Sakura; they are the property of CLAMP. Only Dina and Jana Li belong to me.  
  
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A little, brown-haired girl stood waiting for her aunt to give birth, hoping the new baby will be a boy. The five year old girl's name is Dina Li and she was thrilled on finding out her aunt might be having a son.  
  
Dina stands there curious and waiting impatiently as the door suddenly opened and a is nurse standing there, smiling.  
  
Dina's mother, Jana, turns and walks over. "Is it..?"  
  
"Yes it's a boy." The nurse answers.  
  
Dina gave a happy shout and asked to see the new baby.  
  
"Yes." Jana says. The girl runs into the room and up to her aunt. "Aunt Yelan? May I hold the baby please?" Yelan smiled down at her niece. "Yes, just be careful, Dina." She slowly handed the baby to her.  
  
"What do you think I should name him?" Dina looked down at the small baby she's holding, staring at him. The small baby stares back, amber colored eyes opened wide. "Little wolf."  
  
"Little wolf? Why that name?" Her aunt questioned.  
  
"Because he has amber eyes like a wolf. He's my wolf." Yelan, Jana and the nurses all laugh at that.  
  
The young girl looks confused at why they are laughing.  
  
"So his name shall be Xiao-Lang which means Little Wolf." Yelan says, smiling.  
  
Jana looked down at her daughter. "Why did you want the baby to be a boy sweetheart?"  
  
The girl looks up at the adults. "Because I want someone to play with and dress up..there aren't that many boys in the family, Momma."  
  
Yelan smiled which quickly becomes a frown as Xiao Lang starts to cry, announcing he's hungry. Dina nods then her eyes widen as the baby in her arms starts to cry loudly. Yelan looks worried that Dina might drop the baby. Dina looks at then her new cousin then up at her aunt.  
  
"Why is he crying, Aunt Yelan? Did I hurt him?"  
  
"No, you didn't." Yelan took her son back from Dina. "He's hungry, little one."  
  
Jana took her daughter's hand. "Come Dina, we should go home and let your aunt rest."  
  
"But Momma.I wanna stay with the baby."  
  
"We'll come back tomorrow." Dina nodded sadly, knowing that tone of her mother's.  
  
"Bye Aunt Yelan."  
  
"Goodnight Jana, Dina." Jana looked down at her daughter as they leave. "Dina?"  
  
"Yes Momma?"  
  
"Why are you so insisted on calling your new cousin your's?" The hazel-eyed girl looks up at her mother.  
  
"I had a dream about him, Momma, he needs me."  
  
"I see." Jana said, thinking about what her daughter said and made a point to talk to her sister tomorrow about it.  
  
Dina climbed into the backseat and lets her mother buckle her in, then gets in herself. Jana drove home, still wondering what Dina's dream could mean and if her newborn nephew will need her daughter like she said. Jana pulled the car to a stop before one of the Li mansions and got out, opening Dina's door and unbuckled her.  
  
"Go get ready for bed, Dina."  
  
"Yes, Momma." The young child ran for the house, racing pass a maid who sighed and calls out.  
  
"Don't run in the house Mistress Dina." Jana walks in at a slower pace.  
  
"She ignored you again?"  
  
"She always did, Mistress Jana." The maid said as she closed the door.  
  
"Thank you." Jana walked upstairs to check on Dina and make sure she's ready for bed soon. Dina sitting in bed, waiting for her mother to tell her goodnight.  
  
"Night Momma."  
  
"Goodnight, Dina. And we will go back to visit your aunt and cousin." Jana smoothed her daughter's hair back and kissed her forehead. "Now get some sleep."  
  
Dina curled up in her bed, holding her favorite toy as she goes to sleep. In her sleep she dreamed that her new cousin will need her help, seeing him with two strange girls and trying to find out what is causing those strange happenings. She saw herself standing by a large tree, holding a sword in one hand and wearing ceremonial robes.  
  
Dina can hear them talking and see the worried look on their faces as they try to find out who is behind this. Just as she is learning more, she woke up with a thud having fallen out of her bed.  
  
A maid comes into the room, having been walking pass when she heard the noise. "Mistress Dina? Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes I'm fine. I..had a bad dream."  
  
"Do you need anything?" The maid asked before leaving.  
  
"No." Dina got back into bed and tried to fall asleep again but unable to get her mind off her dream. "Momma or Aunt Yelan never said they had these type of dreams when they were this young."  
  
As morning dawns, Dina fell asleep only to be woken about three hours later to go to the hospital with her mother to pick up her aunt and cousin.  
  
On the ride home, Dina watched her cousin as he sleeps in the child seat specially made for babies. "Is he going to sleep forever, Aunt Yelan?" She wanted to play with him so badly but doesn't dare waking him.  
  
"Babies sleep a lot, as he gets older he will sleep less but that won't be for several months." Yelan said, looking at her niece. The girl nodded as if she understoof.  
  
"Can I help take care of him?"  
  
"Yes you may." A happy smile crossed her face.  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
Jana broke in. "Yelan, do you really think a five-year-old can handle helping with a newborn? Dina might be too young for that just yet."  
  
"Jana, if we make our children learn magic at that age then they can help with a baby." Yelan says firmly.  
  
Jana frowned but only nodded. "If you say so, sister, but I believe my daughter is too young to do that just yet Though I shall allow her for now." Dina stayed quiet during her mother and aunt talking, thrilled she's allowed to help.  
  
Yelan got out and gently lifted her son, her niece bouncing around her and started to show Dina how to care for a baby. Xiao-Lang woke up and stared at his cousin as she stood next to his crib.  
  
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If I get enough reviews I'll keep writing, hell even if I don't I'll keep it up since I'm doing this for myself. None of the CCS characters were harmed in the writing of this. 


	2. Christmas and Decisions

A young boy about three years old with amber eyes and tousled brown hair jumps onto the bed he shares with his older cousin.  
  
A muffled groan comes out from under the covers as Dina wakes up as Syaoran lands on her and starts to shout. "Dia!! It's Christmas! Wake up!!"  
  
Dina frowns up at him, her expression becoming annoyed as she glances out the window and sees it's still dark both outside and in the room. "Xiao Lang, it's not even dawn yet. No one besides you is going to be up. Now go back to bed."  
  
Syaoran pouts, looking sad. "But Dia..Santa came!" He bounces up and down again making his cousin become even more annoyed.  
  
The eight year old girl sighs and then with a very fast movement, lunges and tackles her three year old cousin to her now messy bed and starts to tickle him. "I got you now!" She tries to take his mind off of Santa because she doesn't want to be the one to tell him that Santa doesn't exist.  
  
The boy shrieks loudly, wiggling under her to get free but can't since his cousin is so much larger. "No!"  
  
Dina keeps tickling him, grinning. "Now will you go back to sleep, little wolf, because it's still dark and I'm tired." She watches him, still holding him down. "Xiao Lang, your mother won't be happy if she wakes up this early."  
  
He nods and curls against his cousin, sharing a room with her since he hates being alone. "Dia?"  
  
"I thought you were going to go back to sleep, little cousin." Comes Dina's reply and despite her being tired and woken up so rudely, she's very patient with him. She turns her head to look at him, curious. "Is something bothering you?"  
  
He nods slowly as he puts his small arms around her. "Sorry Dia for waking you up." Syaoran doesn't hear her answer for after he speaks, he falls back asleep next to her.  
  
Dina smiles, hugging her younger cousin and whispers. "It's alright, little wolf. I know what it's like to be excited about it being Christmas morning." The girl falls back asleep, neither her nor Syaoran having noticed the tall woman standing in the opened doorway holding a camera and smiling.  
  
Yelan smiles at the picture her niece and son make, thinking it's so cute and glad she took a picture of them. "This will look so nice in the album."  
  
What seems like only minutes later, Dina again is awoken rudely by the same small boy who seems to take some kind of pleasure in jumping on top of her.  
  
"Xiao Lang!! You better run!" Dina sits up really fast, shouting at her cousin.  
  
Eyes wide, the boy slides off the bed and runs off with his older cousin chasing him downstairs.  
  
"Momma!! Help! Dia's gonna kill me!" Syaoran slides behind his mother, wrapping his arms around her leg, trying to hide from Dina.  
  
Yelan looks down at her son. "There must be a reason for her trying that. Now what did you do to her?" She is trying her best to hide her amusement and glances to Dina then back at Syaoran.  
  
Syaoran looks down, sheepish. "I jumped on her again." He refuses to meet her eyes.  
  
Dina sighs and walks over. "Don't be sad, cousin. And I wasn't going to hurt you." The girl hugs him then lets him get on her back, bringing him over to the tree. "Look, we have gifts to unwrap."  
  
Syaoran brightens and slides down then starts to rip into his gifts, looking up when he hears laughter. His cousin had stuck a large, pink bow on his head as she had opened her own gifts. Syaoran glares at her, yanking the bow off and whines. "Eww pink!"  
  
Dina giggles as he scowls at her and jumps on her, shouting. "Dia!!!"  
  
Yelan smiles at the picture they make, knowing that despite how annoyed they get at each other, they still care a great deal for the other. "Now children, this is not the time to make that much noise."  
  
The two look up sheepishly and nod, speaking at the same time. "Yes Momma/Aunt Yelan."  
  
Dina looks through her gifts, studying the book of magic spells she got along with a sword, ceremonial robes, a hat, a doll and some other toys that had nothing to do with magic. "Aunt Yelan?"  
  
"Yes, dear?"  
  
"Is something bad going to happen?" For once the eight-year-old is very serious, almost like her mother.  
  
Yelan gets a thoughtful look on her face, wondering if it's best to tell her that in seven years her cousin might be sent on a mission. She taps her fingers on the chair's arm, then looks at her niece and makes a fast decision. "No Dina. Nothing bad is going to happen for awhile yet. But it is always best to be prepared."  
  
The girl stares at her aunt with a disbelieving look on her face that clearly says she doesn't believe a word her aunt said. "Then why was I given these books? And robes? And a sword? Only children who are over the age of ten gets this stuff Aunt Yelan. I'm only eight."  
  
The older woman smiles sadly, thinking for not the first time that her spirited niece is too smart for her age with wisdom decades pass her age as well. "You are more advanced then most eight-year-olds, Dilea Li and it has been decided that you would do more advanced spells."  
  
The girl winces as her aunt uses her full first name and not her nickname and in that instance she knows she must be careful where she steps for this is delicate territory. "Alright Aunt Yelan."  
  
Yelan decides to talk with her sister and see who would be best to teach Dina the advanced spells, sword work and martial arts. She rises and turns to leave the living room. "Watch your cousin, Dina. I have business to take care of."  
  
A bewildered Dina stares at her retreating aunt's back. "On Christmas Day? What place is opened today?" Dina gets distracted from her thoughts by a cry and she spins. "Xiao Lang??"  
  
Syaoran sits on the ground, rocking back and forth, Dina's new sword laying before him with blood on the blade, crying.  
  
"Oh no!" She rushes over and gathers him up, gently feeling the deep cut. "Hold still, cousin." Dina focuses and sends some of her healing magic into the cut, healing it fast.  
  
Syaoran sniffs, staring at where he was cut then looks up at her and squeals. "Magic!"  
  
"Yes that was magic little wolf. Now you know better then to touch weapons. They aren't toys, Xiao Lang so next time I see you touch my sword I won't play with you for a week." Dina says, trying to think up the worse punishment she can give him.  
  
"No!! Don't wanna Dia to leave!" Syaoran wraps his arms around her waist as she stands, refusing to let go. "My Dia!"  
  
The little boy glares up at her as if he's daring her to disagree with him and he repeats himself. "My Dia!"  
  
Dina laughs softly, messing up his already messy hair. "Yea whatever you say, little wolf." As she looks down at him she sighs. "I'm too soft on you, but you're far too cute for me to stay mad at."  
  
Syaoran blinks, not fully understanding what she meant but knows that his cousin isn't mad at him any longer and beams up at her, hugging her tightly then bounces off to play with his toys.  
  
Dina sighs and mutters to herself. "That little boy has me wrapped around his finger and he knows it. I can't say no to him. This is so embarrassing." But Dina knows why she is so protective of her little cousin, having watched her own brother and sister die slowly in that hospital over a year ago.  
  
Meanwhile in another room, Yelan is talking with Jara. "Sister, your daughter is very bright for her age, more so then any of the other children in the clan her age. She might even be smarter then the other advanced students. We should train her in the advanced spells."  
  
Jara frowns. "This is my daughter you want to endanger? Yes she is smart but I will not allow her to be endangered not now nor ever! The advanced spells can wait until she's older."  
  
"Jara, she already has been using spells that most fifteen-year-olds don't. Dina knows more then we're willingly to believe. Allow me to train her. I'll take it very slowly if I must but please. We could use someone knowing these spells and who can actually use them." Yelan pleads with her sister.  
  
The other woman turns away. "I don't know Yelan, I have no other children. The twins died one after the other; they were born too soon. I would give my life to protect my little girl."  
  
Yelan steps forward, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I know. I would do the same for my children. But Jara, the more she knows the better she can protect herself. Just say yes and you can put a stop to it at anytime if you think it's too hard for her."  
  
"Alright, but the moment I believe she has been hurt it is over. And she goes back to learning the basic spells."  
  
"Agreed sister."  
  
"Where are the children?"  
  
"I left Dina to watch over my son, but I think he got a hold of her sword and cut himself."  
  
Jara turns at that, frowning. "A sword? I never agreed to that!"  
  
"I didn't either but the elders believe she is at an age and skill level to have one." Yelan replies trying to keep her younger sister calm.  
  
With a defeated sigh, Jara sits down. "All I want to do it protect her."  
  
"Everyone wants to protect their children but there comes a time when they can't. Sometimes I can not even protect Xiao Lang and he is only three."  
  
"Yes but Dina is always with him, those two are inseparable, my sister." Jara says, holding her head in her hands as she sits there.  
  
Yelan watches her sister with concern. "Do not worry about them. They will be fine, I'm more worried about you."  
  
Jara glances up at her. "I'm fine. I just need time to accept this." 


	3. Training and Talk of the Future

A now eight-year-old Syaoran leaps back from the sword swipe his thirteen year old cousin sends his way  
  
Dina smiles as he attacks back and dodges his attack with ease. "Not fast enough, little cousin"  
  
Syaoran glares at his far too cheerful cousin. "You've also been training longer and you know half of those advanced spells."  
  
Dina grins again, twirling her sword then attacks and knocks his away. "You leave your left side wide open."  
  
Syaoran goes and picks up his sword. "Dia? What did my mom want to talk to you about last night? I saw it had upset you."  
  
Dina wipes her sword off, staring into the blade. "I'm at an age to get engaged."  
  
Syaoran scowls slightly. "Ew. I hope when I'm your age that they don't force me to get engaged. They'd probably pick Meiling."  
  
Dina gives her cousin an amused look. "Meiling isn't that bad. It could be worse, you could be engaged to me."  
  
Syaoran gags. "No way. I wouldn't marry you if you were the only girl left."  
  
Dina eyes him. "Gee make me feel so much better. I didn't think I was that bad looking."  
  
Syaoran tries to cover up his mistake. "You aren't! I just can't seeing being married to my cousin, specially you of all of them."  
  
The girl turns away from him and starts to walk off. "If the elders have their way I will be married off to the eldest son of the Ling Clan."  
  
Syaoran frowns and follows her. "Can't Mother change their minds?" He stares at his cousin's back, concerned about her.  
  
Dina doesn't turn around and just shakes her head. "Your mother agreed with them, Xiao Lang." She turns to him. "The elders want my marriage to help forge peace with the Ling Clan."  
  
The look on the boy's face is one of concern and anger. "It isn't right. They shouldn't be able to force us into marriages. Once I'm leader of the clan I'm going to change that rule."  
  
The teenager shrugs, cleaning her sword. "We'll see, cousin, the future is always changing. Something might happen that no one thought would."  
  
Syaoran sits next to her. "What do you mean by that?" He gives her a curious look as he starts to clean his sword as well.  
  
"Well nothing but the past is solid. Each decision a person makes can change the future, like if I decided to go to Hong Kong tomorrow and say I saw an injured person by the road. My decision of going to the city helped save a person's life. What if I hadn't gone to the city? That person would be dead." Dina answers, eyes fixed on the sword.  
  
The young boy sits there, thinking about what his cousin said as he cleans his sword. He decides it does make sense what she said and speaks, his voice breaking the silence that surrounds them. "Dia, this has nothing to do with what you said. But do you think the Clow Cards are ever going to be released?"  
  
The question earns him a sharp look as his cousin looks at him, her blue/green eyes narrowed. The girl looks startled he would ask about the cards despite the fact she knows all about them, having studied them as part of learning advanced spells. "Maybe. I've read most of the books left by Clow Reed saying that one day the cards would be freed again." She looks at the ground. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I've been having dreams about them lately. About being someplace and helping to reseal them. There's someone else in my dream but I can't see her too well." He answers slowly.  
  
"Hm. Then how do you know it's a girl?" Dina asks drily, her attention fully on him.  
  
"I just know, call it a feeling, Dia. It's like I know her really well."  
  
Syaoran says, meeting her eyes.  
  
Dina smiles and reaches out, ruffling his messy hair. "Maybe you'll meet her one day soon, little wolf. The future isn't written in stone."  
  
He goes to open his mouth when a bell chimes, calling them to dinner and he closes it without a word. "Are we training again tomorrow?" The boy looks hopefully at her.  
  
"If you want to but I don't see why you want me to help you. There's others who are stronger then me in the clan." Dina replies to him, studying her cousin, thinking how he'll make a great clan leader one day.  
  
"Only a few of the adults can out do you on speed, Dia, and you're more advanced on the elements spells then most of the people twice your age. You're better then you give yourself credit for." He stares up at her, just wanting her to say yes.  
  
Dina sighs as she looks at him. "I can't say no to you, Xiao Lang. You're just too cute for your own good, cousin." She tries to keep from being wrapped around his finger.  
  
Syaoran smiles and hugs her then runs off towards the house they both live in, shouting behind him. "Better hurry Dia!"  
  
"Great, I helped create a monster." Dina follows her cousin after changing her sword back into it's orb and gathering up the rags and polishing cans. She heads inside and upstairs to dump the cleaning supplies in her room, heading downstairs once she's done. 


	4. Coming to Japan and Revelations

Dina stares down at Hong Kong as it fades from sight and sighs, now fifteen years old, almost sixteen and doing something she never thought she would: running away.  
  
The teenager turns away from the window and sits back to get comfortable and gets her book out to read in an attempt to keep from second-guessing what she just did.  
  
Dina jumps a little when the captain's voice comes over the speakers, announcing they are about to land and hastily puts her book away.  
  
She looks out the window and down at Japan, watching as the plane starts to sink towards the airport.  
  
The tall girl rises after the warning lights go out and picks up her backpack, waiting to leave the plane and mutters. "I hate planes.."  
  
Dina scrambles away from the blasted plane and goes to get her suitcase, promising herself she will never fly again.  
  
She stands there with her suitcase for a moment and then starts to walk away from the airport wishing she knew where to find her cousin's apartment.  
  
Dina asks an adult where the Tomoeda school is and then heads in that direction having found out she was only a few blocks away from it.  
  
The teenager gets strange looks as she walks down the street, wearing forest green cargo pants and a black shirt with a large silver dragon that wraps around from the front to the back, her outfit being completed by army boots. She wears her short hair in a French braid that ends in a short ponytail and her skin is tan.  
  
Dina stops outside the school and fingers her orb necklace that contains her sword, staring at the school and wonders if Syaoran feels her.  
  
Syaoran jerks out of his trance and looks around, sensing a strong magical force and then glares at Eriol, thinking he's the one who gave off the magical feeling.  
  
  
  
Eriol holds back his smile, having sensed Dina Li's aura from blocks away and made it feel different to Syaoran, liking to play pranks on his "relative."  
  
Sakura turns her head some and looks at Syaoran, silently asking if he knows that aura, a worried look in her eyes that is barely hidden.  
  
Syaoran gives his head a small shake causing Sakura to look even more worried. He glances out the window, searching for what he senses but sees nothing.  
  
The boy glares at the clock, trying to make it go faster, waiting impatiently for school to end. The moment he glances down the bell rings and Syaoran gets to his feet fast. "Sakura? You felt that right?" He questions the green-eyed girl who is standing in front of him.  
  
"Yea. Do you think it's someone after my cards?" Sakura asks, very worried by this time. She looks at Syaoran as he speaks.  
  
Syaoran shrugs. "I can't say, we'll find out soon enough though." He walks out with Sakura, keeping an eye out for anything strange, hoping nothing big is going to happen.  
  
Sakura notices a taller girl standing by the entrance of the school. "Hey Syaoran who do you think that is?" She points towards Dina.  
  
Syaoran turns and looks towards where Sakura is pointing, his eyes widening and starts to jog for the girl, shouting. "Dina!" He can't believe his cousin is here in Japan.  
  
Dina grins and hugs him. "How are you Xiao Lang?" She looks down at him and messes up his hair. "And you haven't gotten your hair to behave huh?"  
  
Syaoran blushes some, smiling up at her sheepish. "Yea and I'm called Syaoran here, Dina." He pauses then asks. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Dina sighs and goes to answer when she spots Sakura and casually sidesteps his question. "This must be Ying Fa, right?"  
  
Syaoran scowls at her then nods. "Yes, that's Sakura, the card mistress. And you didn't answer my question, Dia." He wonders why she refused to answer him.  
  
Dina shrugs, trying to play it off. "I thought you could use my help. What you don't want me here?" She looks down at her cousin, wondering if this was a good idea.  
  
Syaoran goes red in the face. "I never said that, Dia. I just thought you were suppose to be married today." The boy gets upset on believing he's going to make his cousin leave.  
  
Dina flinches as he says that and looks at him. "I'll tell you later ok? But first I want to get to know Sakura and everything that's happening."  
  
Syaoran eyes her but nods in agreement. "Alright, but you are going to tell me." The boy glances at Sakura then back at Dina. "Let's drop your stuff off at my place and then get some ice cream."  
  
Dina nods and goes to follow but stops, turning to the side and her eyes narrow having sensed something that feels oddly familiar. .  
  
Syaoran pauses when he notices his cousin isn't there and turns, seeing her staring at something. "Dia?" He frowns slightly, wondering why she's so jumpy and if he can help her with what he can tell is bothering her.  
  
Dina shakes her head, having a bad feeling but joins her cousin and his friend. "It's nothing..."  
  
Eriol stares down to where Dina, Syaoran and Sakura are walking away, looking thoughtful. "She is stronger then I thought. I must be careful now."  
  
Dina dumps her bags inside her cousin's apartment and follows them to the ice cream parlor, thinking about what she felt outside the school.  
  
Sakura whispers to Syaoran. "I can't believe she's your cousin. Does the clan allow her to dress like that?"  
  
Syaoran shakes his head. "Before I left Hong Kong, she started to get into trouble for that, the elders weren't happy with her."  
  
Sakura glances at Syaoran. "Well I like her, she's nice. How long will she be here?" She glances back at Dina. "She's nothing like Meiling."  
  
"Got me. I didn't even know she was coming, Sakura. But I hope she stays awhile." Syaoran replies. "And I'm glad she's not like Meiling, Dia and I are close.  
  
Sakura notices they're at the ice cream parlor and goes inside to the counter and orders herself a double mint ice cream cone.  
  
Syaoran orders plain chocolate ice cream, which earns him a bored look from Dina.  
  
"Gee cousin, can you get anything more boring?" Dina studies the list and orders herself a double chocolate peanut butter ice cream cone.  
  
Syaoran stares at the thing she's holding and shakes his head as they sit down. "I'll stick with plain chocolate." He eats his ice cream, waiting patiently for Dina to talk, knowing full well she'll talk when she's ready and not before.  
  
Dina smirks as she eats, taking the time to think of what to ask them. The teenager pauses for a moment. "Little wolf, what is happening around here? Your last letter said strange things were happening."  
  
Syaoran glances around then faces his cousin. "Weird things like someone is trying to either hurt Sakura or test her. It all started when that exchange student from England came here."  
  
Dina thrums her fingers against the table, looking thoughtful. "What's his or her name?" She tries to shake her odd feeling that she's missing something.  
  
Sakura speaks up. "Eriol." The girl pauses. "I think he's nice."  
  
The boy scowls again. "That doesn't mean he isn't hiding something, Sakura. We have to be careful."  
  
Dina frowns having a funny feeling but shrugs it off as she finishes her ice cream. "Don't worry, Sakura."  
  
Dina rises and looks at her cousin. "Be careful, I'll meet you back at your place later. I'm going for a walk." She walks away.  
  
Sakura looks towards Syaoran and blinks. "Let's follow her." She scrambles out the door and after the older girl.  
  
"Sakura!" Syaoran shouts as he chases the girl he likes.  
  
Dina climbs the tree, knowing they were following her and watches them pass under her and mutters softly. "I must talk to my dear cousin and I know for a fact he won't like what I have to say."  
  
Dina slides out of the tree and starts walking then stops with a curse. "Damn it I forgot where he lived.."  
  
The girl tugs on her short braid in annoyance, totally lost and looks around then sighs heavily.  
  
Dina starts to walk in a direction that looks good when she feels a surge of magic and spins, starting to sprint in that direction.  
  
Dina summons her sword as she enters the park, looking around and spots Syaoran and Sakura and pauses for a moment then her eyes widen as the magic surges higher.  
  
With a shout she races at them, shouting. "Get down!" Dina slams into the two younger kids, pushing them down as she lands on them to shield them as a blast of magic passes overhead.  
  
Dina rolls off of them then sits up, looking at Sakura and Syaoran. "You two alright?"  
  
Sakura nods as she stands. "Yes and thanks for the warning." She calls out for her wand and faces where the magic came from.  
  
Syaoran gives Dina a look but shrugs and brushes himself off, standing next to Sakura.  
  
Dina backs up knowing to watch their backs in case and starts to look around, worried that something she can't help with will happen.  
  
The older girl glances at where Sakura and her cousin are battling shadow creatures and fights her instinct to protect them.  
  
Dina mutters. "C'mon you two I know you're both strong if your auras are anything to judge by."  
  
Sakura calls Shield to protect her and Syaoran from the shadow creatures that are attacking them.  
  
Syaoran slices through a shadow creature only to be thrown backwards.  
  
Dina shouts something and a bubble appears, as Syaoran is about to hit a tree and catches him.  
  
Syaoran rolls off the bubble, sending Dina a look of thanks then races back for Sakura.  
  
Dina paces along the trees, scanning the area and pauses, staring at a tree. "Who's there?" For some reason she feels nervous as she stands there, like something bad is going to happen soon.  
  
Spinal Moon looks at his master. "Should I take care of her, master?" The cat guardian watches the girl with interest in his eyes.  
  
Eriol shakes his head. "No, not yet. I may find a use for her. She is very strong." The blue haired boy stares down at where Dina is scanning the trees. "It is time to go."  
  
Dina turns when she hears a yelp and sees Syaoran looking around as the shadow creatures all vanish.  
  
Sakura sits there, staring at where a shadow creature was then down at her injury, having fallen and landed on a sharp rock as the shadow creature she was fighting vanished.  
  
Dina walks up to them and crouches. "Let me see your arm." She places her hand several inches above the cut.  
  
Sakura holds her arm out slowly and watches as Dina mutters a healing spell and light gathers around Sakura's arm, healing the shallow cut.  
  
Sakura blinks. "A healing spell, Syaoran can't do that. Or can you?" The green-eyed girl looks up at him.  
  
"No, only the adults in the clan or those who have been taught the advanced spells can. I'm not old enough yet." Syaoran says.  
  
Dina shrugs as she stands again. "I'm best with healing and element spells. I'm ok with shields or safety spells but I totally suck at floating and translation spells."  
  
Dina glances back at the trees then at them again. "It's getting late, you should go home Sakura."  
  
Sakura nods. "Thanks again for healing my arm." She turns to Syaoran. "See you at school." With that the girl runs off.  
  
The boy turns to his cousin. "It's time we talked, Dia. Let's go home." With that he turns and heads for his apartment as his cousin trails along behind him.  
  
Dina glances at the trees one last time as she turns the corner then faces forward again. "Great..I'm going crazy."  
  
Syaoran unlocks his door and walks in, heading for the couch. "Alright, Dina, you sidestepped this for long enough. What are you doing here? I thought today was your wedding."  
  
An unusually soft voice answers him. "It was. I ran away, little wolf. I couldn't make myself marry him so I left." Dina tries to keep her voice steady as she talks.  
  
He turns to her in shock, surprised one of the few people he looks up to did something like that. "The clan doesn't know do they? I'm the only one who knows where you are?"  
  
Dina nods slowly. "I left a note saying goodbye and not to look for me." She pauses then keeps going. "I came here to see if you needed help. I really doubt I'll be able to stay long before the clan finds me..but I'm here for now."  
  
Syaoran paces, now worried himself. "The clan won't be happy, Dia, they might even kick you out for this!" He tries to think of ways to help his cousin. "Well while you're here you should enroll in the high school. But what are you going to do once the clan finds you?"  
  
"We'll handle that when we come to it and I was planning on enrolling tomorrow. I'm going to stay as long as I can." Dina answers, her voice quiet. 


	5. A New School, Pranks and a Fight

Dina tugs at her skirt, really disliking them. "I can't believe I have to wear skirts.." She looks up at the junior high school, today her first day, having been in Japan almost a week now. "I just hope I can stay here awhile.."  
  
"Dia, you're going to be late if you don't go in now." Syaoran says, standing next to her. "You're scared aren't you?" He teases her, thinking that'll make her walk off in a huff.  
  
His cousin gives him an amused look and laughs. "There's nothing wrong with being scared, little wolf. And yes I'm scared a little. I know only you, Sakura and Tomoyo." Dina looks down at him and gives a small smile.  
  
The boy frowns and then shrugs. "I'll see you after school then. Bye Dina." He turns to go when his cousin calls out to him to stop and he pauses, looking at her. "Yea?"  
  
"It must have been harder for you, you didn't know anyone here. I'm right, aren't I?" She says, her eyes on him, like she can see right into his mind. "Well, you better go, cousin." Dina turns towards the junior high school again and walks towards it.  
  
Syaoran shrugs as he heads for his school that's next door to Dina's. He turns on hearing something behind him and blushes on seeing Sakura coming up.  
  
"Hi Syaoran!" Comes a shout as Sakura skates up to a stop next to him. "Dina enrolled at the junior high school?" The girl looks at her friend, smiling at him.  
  
"Yea. She spent the pass week getting to know her way around and getting some items in case she needs them, also she had to get skates and her school uniform." Syaoran looks towards the junior high school as he enters his school with Sakura.  
  
  
  
Dina goes to the office to get her schedule and to find her homeroom class, then leaves the office wandering down the hall totally lost. "Great..just damn bloody great..first I get lost trying to find my cousin's apartment now I'm lost in this stupid building."  
  
She finally finds her homeroom and enters the room, getting introduced and takes the desk the teacher points out to her and stares at the board as the teacher talks, trying this is so stupid as she sits here.  
  
The girl heads for a spot where she won't be bothered and sits down to eat her lunch when several voices are heard and six older kids, all in the same grade as her, all girls are standing there.  
  
"Look it's the new girl. What? You couldn't find a school that'd take you where you lived?" One mocks her as the girl's friends laugh. "You must think you're hot stuff, walking around like you own the place."  
  
She frowns as one of the girls grabs her backpack and dumps all her books out. "Leave me alone or you'll regret it." Dina stands, eyes narrowing at the other girls. "You don't want me to get angry."  
  
"I don't think so, new girl. You're on my turf and we're going to deal with you for coming here." The first girl speaks back up, glaring at Dina. "You should have never came here and we're going to make sure that you have no friends."  
  
"I'm not here to make friends, stupid. Now get out of my face." Dina goes into a defensive prose as she says that, scowling at the girls and they decide to back off but not without some glares and rude remarks.  
  
She spends the rest of her lunch time gathering all her things up and pushing them back into her backpack with a sigh then grabs her lunch box as the bell rings for the next class.  
  
Dina sighs, bored to tears and jumps up once the bell rings, signaling the end of class and she runs towards the gym, knowing that soon her plan will be put into action. She snickers as she changes into her gym outfit, then heads outside for class.  
  
The Chinese teenager watches the others with an amused expression, still bored but happier to be out of the classrooms and outside where she can at least be active. Her head snaps up when the teacher calls her name out and asks her to do some jumps over barriers.  
  
She stands and walks over to the starting point and starts to run, heading for the first barrier and leaps over it then keeps going, doing each one perfectly, landing. Dina turns and walks back towards the rest of her class, ignoring the shocked looks and whispers.  
  
"Dina, that was great. You should try out for the track team. Try-outs start next week. Are you interested?" The teacher asks her, thinking about getting Dina on the team.  
  
"Maybe, I don't know yet. I don't know how long I'll be here either."  
  
Dina replies, not wanting people to think she's showing off. "I'll let you know, sir." She sits and wraps her arms around her knees, thinking about what to do and if she should try-out for the track team.  
  
"Hey, Dina?" Several other students come up to her, a mix of boys and girls, the teacher helping some students who are having problems with the barriers. The speaker is a boy slightly shorter then her with blond hair and green eyes. "Can we talk to you for a minute? Please?"  
  
She nods, wondering what they want with her, hoping they aren't going to try to fight her or anything, knowing it'll be one-sided since she's a trained fighter. "Go ahead."  
  
The boy looks nervous and swallows. "You're really good at the barriers and the track team has been lacking good jumpers for two years now. We could use you on the team. Please consider trying out."  
  
"I'll consider it, but like I told the teacher, I don't know how long I'll be here. And I don't want anyone to think I'm showing off, that's not how I am. If I decide to try-out, everyone will find out at try-outs." Dina turns to walk away then pauses. "Thanks for asking me and I hope we can become friends even if I don't try-out." With that she trots off, thinking about the track team, the problems happening and what to do.  
  
Finally the teacher lets them go change back into their uniforms and as the other girls are changing into their skirts, Dina grabs her backpack and goes to change in private. She looks down at her outfit and grins, now wearing black shorts with a short silver shirt with a black dragon on the front.  
  
The bell rings, signaling time to change classes and the Chinese girl smirks, trying not to laugh as she secures her custom skates that has dragons on them. "Time to stir up some excitement." With that the girl pushes off and starts to skate, jetting out of the locker room, to the gym and through it and into the hallway where students are hurrying to class.  
  
People jump out of her way as she races down the hallway at top speed. Dina grins, enjoying this and listening to the screams and shouts as people get knocked down. Putting on a burst of speed she speeds for the doors and crashes through them, leaving the high school in an uproar and several teachers chasing after her.  
  
Dina turns, facing them and waves, then spins forward again, going pass the gates and onto the street, dodging cars and people as she crosses the street and leaps onto the sidewalk, speeding down it at full speed, her hair having came free of it's braid.  
  
With a laugh, she skates off, heading randomly in a direction. Dina slides to a halt in front of a store, peering into the window. "Looks interesting and I do have plenty of time to kill." She sits on a nearby bench and changes into her shoes.  
  
She enters the store and starts looking around, picking up figures and inspects them. Dina wanders through the store, gathering several items for her room then heads up to pay for them. She exits the store, pausing a moment and grins on seeing a bookstore, heading for it.  
  
As she's crosses the street, shouts are heard followed by a car's horn, the girl turns, everything seeming to be in slow motion, as the car speeds at her. Dina stands there for a moment then reacts, going into a cartwheel, sliding between two parked cars and hits the sidewalk hard.  
  
"Are you alright, miss?" A voice is coming from somewhere above her, the voice male and concerned. The teenage boy kneels next to her, holding her up some, staring down at her. He has black hair and blue eyes, very handsome but Dina being the way she is doesn't pay any attention to that.  
  
"Yea, I'm fine. What happened?" Dina says, still somewhat confused, having hit her head. She stares at the guy before sitting up on her own and then stands, her head hurting but unable to use her magic until she's alone at the apartment. She shakes her head slightly to try to clear it.  
  
The boy frowns some but helps her stand. "You nearly got hit by a car, but you did a cartwheel and got out of the way though you also hit your head after tripping over the curb. I'm Kikuchi by the way."  
  
"I'm Dina and thanks for helping me." She grabs her bags and walks off, still somewhat dizzy. Dina keeps walking, not sure which direction to go in.  
  
Syaoran standing in front of his school, waiting for Dina to show up when Sakura comes running towards him. "Syaoran! Have you heard?"  
  
"Heard what Sakura?" The young boy looks at her in confusion, trying not to blush, having been doing that a lot around her. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Sakura looks surprised. "Dina caused a riot at the junior high after gym class. From what I was told, she came shooting out of the gym on roller blades and went racing down the hall and outside."  
  
Syaoran groans. "Great..last time she did something like that, she was nearly kicked out of school for a whole year. The clan had to step in to keep that from happening. Now she doesn't have the clan to help her." He looks calm on the outside but inside he's very angry with his cousin doing this. "I'll see you tomorrow Sakura."  
  
The girl watches him race off and shrugs then heads home herself, thinking that Syaoran is getting very weird. Even more so then when Meiling was around but shrugs it off on him just being concerned about everything that's going on.  
  
Dina stretched out on her bed, having put all her new things away, her arm over her face. "One..two..three.." Once the last word comes out of her mouth, her bedroom door slams open to reveal an angry boy. "Hello cousin."  
  
"Don't you give me that Dina. What were you thinking?! The clan isn't going to help you this time around and if you get kicked out of school here you have no where else to go!" Syaoran shouts, fists balled close, glaring at his cousin.  
  
"Little wolf, it is called fun. So stuff it, I don't know what changed you but you're not acting like the cousin I knew in Hong Kong. That boy was happy and always laughing, but the one before doesn't." Dina retorts to him, becoming annoyed herself.  
  
Syaoran goes red in the face partly from anger and partly from embarrassment. "I can't believe we're cousins. You can't even be serious."  
  
The boy scowls at her, letting his anger control him. "Grow up Dina!" He pauses for a moment then glares at her. "I don't want you here. Go home, cousin."  
  
The girl frowns and sits up. "I can be serious if the situation calls for it and we both know that. I don't know what's eating at you but until you figure it out leave me alone. If you don't want me here then I'll leave. Now goodbye cousin." With that she lays down on her side, ignoring him fully.  
  
He shuts the door, nearly at tears, never having heard Dina be so cold to anyone, specially to him and he goes to his room, laying down as he stares out his window. "That was so smart of you. Haven't seen her in almost a year and a week after she shows up you get into a fight with her." Syaoran lies there, mentally beating himself up. "I'm sorry Dia."  
  
Dina sighs heavily and stands, walking towards her balcony, going outside and looks down at the ground. "He's the only family I have left and if he doesn't want me around then maybe I should leave. There is other places I can go like the United States, it is a really large country and I could start over.." She knows that she can't leave that easily, not with all the stuff happening around here. "Well he might not want my help but Sakura can and will. That reminds me..I told her I'd teach her some spells she can use the cards for."  
  
As silently as she can, the teenager gets her magic books, pushing them into her bag then grabs her skates, heading for the door, moving cat-quiet. Once she's outside she changes into her roller blades and thunders down the sidewalk towards where she knows Sakura lives.  
  
The Chinese teenager slides to a halt before Sakura's house and goes through the gate, to the porch then sits and changes back into her hiking boots, rising and goes to the door and knocks. She looks around the yard, smiling some.  
  
The door opens, a man standing there. "May I help you?" He looks down at Dina with a smile.  
  
"I'm here to see Sakura, sir." Dina answers, unable to help herself and smiles back at him, thinking this must be Sakura's father.  
  
"Are you a friend of her's?" The man seems somewhat surprised at his daughter having a friend who is so obviously much older then her. After Dina nods, he steps back to let her in. "Come in please."  
  
"Thank you." She steps inside, pausing a moment, looking embarrassed then removes her shoes like she's expected to do, following Sakura's father into the living room, looking around as she does. "This is a nice house you have sir." Dina could have kicked herself for sounding so stupid right then.  
  
"I'll go get Sakura for you." He turns to go to get his daughter, heading upstairs and knocks on her door. "Sakura? You have a visitor." Her father opens the door and looks in on her.  
  
"Who is it Dad?" Sakura looks at her father, standing by her desk, looking confused. "No one said they were going to come over." She walks towards her father and steps into the hallway.  
  
"I don't know, she's waiting in the living room though. I think she's around sixteen, she certainly looks like it." He goes back into the kitchen as Sakura goes towards the living room.  
  
"Dina! I didn't know you were coming over. You should have told me you were." Sakura says as she looks up at the older girl, smiling happily.  
  
Dina smiles back, having taken a likening to Sakura, thinking of her as a younger sister. "Is there someplace we can talk in private? I thought we could work on some of those lessons you asked me about." Dina's smile widens as the look of remembering passes over Sakura's face and she laughs softly. "I take it you remember now."  
  
"Yea, we can do it in my room. C'mon." With that the girl bounces up the stairs with Dina following, heading for her room, going inside. "Have a seat, Dina." Sakura flops down on her bed, still smiling. "So what are the first lessons going to be?" She asks as Dina sits across from her.  
  
"First get your cards out, I can't really teach you much but what I can teach you can only be done by using your cards." Dina says, pulling out her magic book and opening it to a page.  
  
Sakura calls out to her cards and they float over to her, landing in a pile in her hands. "Ok I have them. Now what?" The young girl is eager to learn whatever she can, this the first time anyone bothering to teach her spells.  
  
"You might also want your wand to be out. And find the Shield and Silent cards, if you have transformed them yet." Dina scans the spell she's going to teach to the young card mistress. "It won't work if one of the cards aren't transformed."  
  
"Oh..well I have the Shield card transformed but not the Silent." Sakura looks disappointed as she stares at the Silent Card. "Maybe if I transformed it?" She looks hopefully at Dina.  
  
Dina shakes her head. "Transforming it will wear you out and I need you at full strength to learn this spell. But we can wait to actually perform the spell at a later date, after more of the cards are transformed." She pauses, seeing the look of sadness on Sakura's face and places a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Also the spells tend to be in Chinese so I doubt you'll be able to read it. That means my first task is to teach you Chinese."  
  
"Hoe?!" Sakura stares at the Chinese teenager in surprise and smiles brightly again. "Thank you Dina." She hugs Dina who looks surprised and returns it slowly.  
  
"It shouldn't be that hard, Chinese and Japanese are close, just some things are different." Dina digs out a Chinese/Japanese dictionary along with a pen and paper from her bag. "Here this should help." Dina hands the book over and then starts to write stuff down on the paper for Sakura to learn. "We're going to start off easy. Tell me what this means."  
  
Sakura takes the paper and writes down what she thinks it means, looking at the dictionary now and then when she gets confused. 


	6. Lessons and the Battle

Several weeks have passed some strange things happening but nothing too bad. Dina had joined the track team as something to do after school when she realized she'd be here awhile though she and Syaoran have yet to make up.  
  
____________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
A teenage girl with shoulder length brown/blond hair lies on her bed, reading a book, she wearing shorts and a crop top despite it being wintertime. She sighs, glancing towards her bedroom door, missing her cousin badly despite seeing him everyday yet never talking much to him for he's still angry at the prank she played at her new school on her first day there. "I can't believe he's still angry at me..it's been six weeks."  
  
She stands and changes into jeans and a hooded sweatshirt and grabs her skates, heading for the door. Leaving her shoes in her room and puts the skates on and roller blades down the hall to the elevators and goes down to the bottom floor and outside, needing to get out of the apartment for awhile. Dina heads towards the park, getting halfway there when she feels a very strong aura, one that is much stronger then the one she's been feeling since she got to Japan.  
  
The teenager look around fast, summons her sword, skating towards the auras, finally spotting Sakura and the man she's trying to fight off. "Sakura!" She makes herself go faster, sliding to a halt next to the card mistress. "What's going on here?!" Dina holds her sword out and glares at the man before her.  
  
"He wants my cards, Dina." Sakura pants, growing tired. "I don't know if I can hold him off any longer." The young girl looks exhausted and about to pass out.  
  
"Don't worry Sakura. I'll help." Dina faces the man fully. "You'll have to go through me to get to her, mister." She skates to the side some to get the man to ignore Sakura. Dina watches the man with narrowed eyes, moving slowly.  
  
The man turns to Dina and smirks, then quickly turns back and fires a blast of black magic at Sakura. As fast as lighting, Dina pumps her legs and speeds towards Sakura, shouting something and leaps in the path of the magic blast, getting hit squarely in the chest and pushed backwards several feet until she hits a tree and slumps to the ground, unmoving.  
  
"Dina!" Sakura screams then turns to face the man. "That's it! You'll pay for hurting my friend." With that Sakura pulls out a card and throws it up into the air. "Firey!" The Firey card goes into it's visible form and attacks the man, driving him away as Sakura runs over to Dina and checks her pulse. "Please be alright.." The young card mistress digs through her cards, looking for one to help her but sees none.  
  
The girl stands, recalling Firey and a then pulls her cell phone out of her pocket, dialing Syaoran's number and nearly screams into it when he answers. "Syaoran! It's me Sakura. I'm at the park and I need help. It's Dina, she got hurt badly." She pauses a moment, then screams into the phone this time. "I don't care if you're still angry at her for that. She could be dying!" Sakura hangs up on him and then calls for help.  
  
Dina lays there, bleeding from the blast and slamming into the tree, her pulse weak that scares Sakura. The card mistress kneels next to Dina; her hands pressed against to wound to try to keep it from bleeding too badly.  
  
"Don't die, Dina."  
  
The medics come racing up with a stretcher, stopping by Sakura and Dina's prone body. They put a brace around Dina's neck, getting her on the stretcher and head back to the ambulance. Sakura follows, still worried, and climbs into the ambulance cab to go to the house with Dina. She turns in the seat to watch the medics' work on stabilizing Dina. "Will she be alright?"  
  
The driver glances at her and tries to smile for her sake. "I don't know, that's why we have to get her to the hospital as soon as possible, miss." He focuses back on the road and starts to speed up, the lights flashing to get people out of their way. As soon as they pull up to the hospital, the medics rush Dina off to the ER, leaving Sakura in the waiting room.  
  
Sakura paces the waiting room; worried about her new friend and hoping she lives. The young girl pauses and stares at the doors the medics took her through. "Be alright..please."  
  
Meanwhile at that very moment, Syaoran is fighting with himself and whether he should go to the hospital or not. "I'm not going..but she's my cousin..I should be there for her." He paces his room, struggling with his emotions. "Dina.." The boy sinks to his knees, trying not to cry. With a start, he looks around, realizing he's still kneeling on his floor and wonders how long he has been there for, having realized just how much his cousin means to him. He stands and grabs his jacket, running for the door, pausing only to get his shoes on and then races out the door.  
  
The young boy races down the street, heading for the hospital. "I'm sorry Dina..just be alright, please!" Syaoran runs through the hospital doors, heading for the ER, heading for Sakura's aura. "Sakura!"  
  
Sakura turns and looks happy that he's there. "They took her to the ER, she looked really off, Syaoran. And they won't or couldn't answer my questions." She stares at him, also worried about him and how he will react.  
  
Syaoran heads to the nurses' station. "Hello? I'd like some information on my cousin please." He struggles to remain calm, for both himself and Sakura's sakes. "Her name is Dina Li and she was recently brought in by ambulance."  
  
The old lady smiles down at him, looking sad. "You must be talking about that young girl. I don't know much but that she's still in surgery once the doctor is finished; he'll come out and talk to you about how she's doing and everything. You should sit down, all you can do right now is wait."  
  
Syaoran scowls but sighs finally and goes to sit down, waiting impatiently for the doctor, not noticing Sakura sitting down next to him on the couch. He rests his head in his hands, very close to crying. "Please be alright cousin.." He jumps when Sakura hugs him and looks at her.  
  
"It'll be alright, Syaoran, you'll see. You need to have faith in her that she'll be fine." Sakura smiles at him. "And I'll stay here with you for the doctor."  
  
He blushes and sputters. "You don't have to Sakura, I'll be fine here."  
  
The boy looks at her again, then away. "You should go home, your father and brother might be getting worried."  
  
Sakura stands. "I'm going to go call my dad and let him know where I am. I'm not going anywhere Syaoran. You need a friend right now so I'm staying." She turns and goes over to the nurses' desk to ask if she can use the phone, leaving him with his thoughts.  
  
He sits there, head bowed forward, staring at the ground, not noticing Sakura coming back to sit next to him. The two of them sit there quietly and after two hours of worrying a shadow falls over them and they look up to see a man who's wearing a white coat.  
  
"Are you related to Miss Li?" The doctor gazes down at the two children, the look in his eyes sad at Syaoran's nod he speaks again. "I'm Doctor Matthews. I handled her case in the ER."  
  
"Li Syaoran. She's my cousin and her name is Dina." He looks back at the doctor. "How is she?" A look of fear he can barely hide is seen in his eyes. "Please tell me she isn't dead."  
  
The doctor shakes his head. "No, she isn't dead but she is badly hurt. She's currently in a coma and stabilize at the moment." He pauses as he looks at them again. "You can see her for a few minutes. We have her in ICU for now." He turns and walks off, Syaoran and Sakura following him, silently.  
  
Doctor Matthews looks down at the boy next to him. "You can go in first, but you can only have ten minutes in there." He frowns at the look on the boy's face. "I'm sorry but that's all I can give you for today, tomorrow you can stay with her a half hour." The doctor watches Syaoran enter the room.  
  
Syaoran walks over to his cousin and sits in the chair next to her bed. "Dina, I'm sorry.." He sits there, staring at her in shock, wishing she would open her eyes and tease him or something. "Open your eyes..please?"  
  
Dina laying on the hospital bed with bandages around her chest and head, machines of all kinds are attached to her arms to monitor her condition, she is pale white and unmoving, looking nearly dead and nothing like her usual energetic self.  
  
He stares at her like he can will her to open her eyes and look at him, scared one of the few people who really cares for him will die. "You can't die on me Dina, you just can't." He balls his hands into fists. "I'm sorry about the fight..I shouldn't have said those things." Shortly after he says that the doctor comes in to tell him his time is up and he should leave.  
  
"Young man? I'm sorry but you must go. You can come back tomorrow." The doctor guides him out of the ICU to where Sakura has been watching through the window. "Go home, she will be here tomorrow." He makes them leave, watching until they exit the doors.  
  
"I can't believe how pale she was. She looked dead, Syaoran." Sakura says as they walk along the street and away from the hospital. "Do you think she will be alright?" She looks at him, curiously and hopeful.  
  
He doesn't answer at first, unable to get his mind off what he saw in that hospital room. "I don't know Sakura..I really don't know." He looks up at the sky and sighs, not noticing they're at the corner where they are to part ways. Her hand on his arm gets his attention and he looks at her, trying not to blush. "Yes?"  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow at school, right?" She looks at him, hope seen in her big emerald eyes. "Don't worry Syaoran, Dina is tough, she'll pull through." She gives him a hug then turns and heads for her house, leaving the boy alone on the corner as the snow comes down.  
  
Syaoran stands there, not paying attention to anything as he walks for his apartment, eyes on the ground and before he knows it he is opening his front door. He blinks back tears on realizing it won't be the same without his cousin around, she normally would have had made supper by now or started a food fight with him as they make supper. With a sob, he sinks to the floor by the couch, hugging his knees and thinking about the last time they talked, he said things he wishes he could take back. "I'm sorry..please don't die on me.." He whispers as he falls asleep.  
  
  
  
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Ok people! I'm leaving this as a cliffhanger. I can't say when I'll have the next chapter out so don't curse me. I hope to have it out soon just be patient. I know you all can. I'm also not telling what will happen in the future chapters. 


	7. Unseen Disasters

Syaoran wakes up with a start, looking around wildly for what woke him and with a sinking feeling he realizes what did: the lack of noise he was used to hearing in the morning from Dina. He slowly stands, his entire body aching from sleeping on the floor. Walking with his head down he heads for the bathroom to get ready for another day at school when he stops. "There's no way I'm going to school today."  
  
He takes a quick shower and gets dressed, pausing as he passes by Dina's room then goes inside, looking around and smiles a little when he spots the toy dragon he brought for Dina for Christmas two years ago. He picks up the stuffed animal, knowing Dina always kept it on her bed since it was given to her by him and sighs, looking at the toy dragon before turning and heading for the door, stopping and gets his shoes and jacket on then heads for the hospital.  
  
Syaoran comes bursting into ICU and heads straight for her bed, sitting in the chair next to her after placing the stuffed animal by her head. "Dina?" He takes her hand and squeezes, hoping she is awake but knows that she isn't. He sits there, lost in his thoughts when a hand lands on his shoulder and he looks up to see Sakura and Tomoyo. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"School is over for today and when I didn't see you in class, I thought you would be here, Syaoran." Sakura answers, obviously having gone home and changed as had Tomoyo. "Are you doing okay?" She looks down at him, worry showing in her green eyes. Her eyes go over to Dina for a moment. "No change?"  
  
He shakes his head. "She hasn't even twitched. I just want her to wake up, Sakura…I have to tell her I'm sorry for the things I said." He looks back at his cousin then sighs, turning slightly red as his stomach growls, announcing that it needs food. He looks up at the girls, both looking amused.  
  
Sakura looks at him in sympathy. "When did you eat last Syaoran?" She smiles down at him, but concern is in her eyes still and clearly seen to anyone who looks at her. "It isn't good for you to not eat and it won't help Dina at all if you collapse from not eating."  
  
Syaoran refuses to stand as Sakura tugs at his arm, trying to make him stand, Tomoyo watching. "Sakura, I don't want to leave her alone.." He stares up at her. "I'll eat but I'm not leaving her alone.  
  
Sakura nods slowly. "Alright then, I'll go get you something from the cafeteria. Is there anything you'd like?" Her green eyes watch him careful as Tomoyo stands behind her.  
  
"Just a sandwich and something to drink please." He pauses as the girls turn to the door. "Sakura?" She turns to look back at him, curiously. "I'm glad you came." He says softly, eyes focused on the floor.  
  
"It'll be fine, Syaoran. " Tomoyo speaks up for the first time since they got to the hospital. "We were worried about you, Sakura told me what happened last night so when you weren't at school today we agreed to see you at the hospital. We thought you could use having some friends here "  
  
The girls leave him alone with Dina to go get him something to eat, neither speaking as they enter the cafeteria. Sakura getting him a sandwich and fries while Tomoyo gets him a bottle of water, they meeting at the register to pay for it before heading back to ICU.  
  
"Sakura, I'm worried about Syaoran. I've never seen him like this before, he must really care for Dina." Tomoyo says quietly as they walk.  
  
"He does. I think he looks up to her like a sister, but I know that they're very close, he mentioned they trained together and did a lot of stuff together before he came to Japan." Sakura replys as she enters ICU, going up to him and hands him the tray.  
  
"Thanks." He mumbles quietly, as he takes the tray and starts eating, looking down at it in his lap, glad and surprised they were worried about him and very grateful that they came to the hospital. He finishes and looks back up at them. "See? I ate everything."  
  
Sakura smiles. "Good, now don't you feel better?" He nods slowly causing her smile to get even happier. "Okay, I'm glad you ate but Syaoran staying in ICU all day long and not eating anything isn't good for you." She looks at him, still smiling. "Why don't you come to the park with us?"  
  
He hesitates, looking at them and their hopeful expressions before sighing. "Alright, I'll come." He doesn't tell them of the plan he's been working on all day, knowing that Sakura would try to help him and he doesn't want another person he cares for to get hurt. He follows Sakura and Tomoyo out of the hospital and to the park, listening to them talking.  
  
A tall man, the same man who attacked Sakura and Dina, watches them as they walk away then turns toward the hospital, heading for the source of magic, thinking about how if he drains the other girl's magic he shall be able to take Sakura's magic and her cards. He enters the ICU and stops by Dina's bed, placing his hands on her face and starts to drain her magic.  
  
Dina tenses, her whole body arching upwards and starts shaking hard as the man drains her magic roughly. She collapses back onto the bed still shaking. The man smiles evilly as he keeps draining her not noticing the blue hair boy who enters the room.  
  
Eriol enters the room, heading for the man with an angry look on his face. "Leave her alone." He looks at the man, calmly as the man spins to face him.  
  
Raiden narrows his eyes at Eriol. "Little boy, this does not concern you. You should leave before I make you." He steps back from Dina's bed and faces Eriol fully, sneering down at him. "I will only tell you once so you better go." He frowns when the boy doesn't move. "You think you can take me down little boy?"  
  
"Yes." Eriol speaks, his voice low and calm as he stares right back at Raiden. "I'm not someone you can push around, Raiden. I think it is best for you to leave now." He smiles up at the man, his words belaying his age and making him seem much older.  
  
"I don't know who you are or how you know my name but I really dislike being threatened by a little boy." Raiden snarls at Eriol, lifting a hand to cast a spell to knock him out. "If you don't leave I will drain you of your powers as well."  
  
Eriol just smiles again and before Raiden can react, he knocks him out and goes to check on Dina, a frown crossing his face as he senses that her magic levels are very low. "He drained you almost fully. I just hope that Syaoran and Sakura are strong enough to defeat him now." He turns and leaves Raiden where he is, knowing that it would look strange for a boy to be dragging a grown man out of the ICU.  
  
At that very moment, in the park, Syaoran, Sakura and Tomoyo are sitting under a tree, talking when he pauses and looks around, causing the girls to look at him curiously.  
  
"Is something wrong, Syaoran?" Tomoyo asks, looking at him as does Sakura. Both girls wonder if everything is all right for he got pale fast.  
  
"I felt something..it feels like Dina's aura." He stands and starts to jog off, heading for the park's exit, leaving them by the tree with surprised looks on their faces. He has a feeling something bad happened at the hospital and starts to run, ignoring the shouts from Sakura as she runs to catch up to him.  
  
Sakura chases after Syaoran, wondering what had him take off so fast and follows him back to the hospital. He enters the hospital and heads for ICU without even pausing, sliding to a halt inside the door and walks slowly towards his cousin. He can tell something is wrong but not sure what yet as he takes her hand in his own, probing at her with his magic and what he doesn't feel makes him jump backwards with a surprised and horror filled look on his face. He turned to face Sakura, his eyes threatening to brim over with tears. "She's worse, Sakura. There's something wrong with her .... something that the doctors can't fix...." As their eyes locked, a tear slid down his cheek. 


	8. Explantions

Eriol sits in his chair, just staring into the fire, deep in thought about everything that has happened and all he has planned. He doesn't notice Spinal watching him with a curious expression on his face.  
  
"Is something bothering you, Eriol?" Spinal asks from where he's laying on a nearby couch with an open book in front of him. The guardian watches his master, partly worried.  
  
"In a way, Spinal, I had originally planned on testing Sakura and getting her to transform the cards into her own. But when Dina Li showed up, I was forced to adjust my plans. Then when Raiden came for Sakura, and once again, my plans were due for adjustment. I was also glad in a way that Dina showed up for she could teach Sakura spells to use with the cards but now that she's in the hospital in a coma, my plans have to be changed again." He doesn't look away from the fire, as if it is telling him secrets.  
  
"What are your plans now?" The sun guardian asks, floating over to his master and perches on his shoulder gently. "With Dina out of the picture, you must hope that Syaoran and Sakura can defeat Raiden?"  
  
"Yes. Dina is…..was strong but not as strong as Sakura but still strong in her own right. Now that Raiden has her magic added with his own, it might make him able to defeat both of them. I just have to hope that they can do it." Eriol says softly. "I don't know yet how my plans will change but I will in a few days. Now that Raiden has Dina's magic, Sakura is going to have to trust herself to defeat him. I just hope that what I think might need to happen won't for I doubt either Sakura or Syaoran could do this."  
  
"You're going to help them aren't you?" Spinal asks again, knowing full well his master will. As the cat guardian sits there he looks at his master again. "Is there something else?" He pauses then speaks again. "What do you wish not to happen, Eriol? It sounds bad."  
  
"It is, Spinal. Unless they find out another way, Dina Li shall have to die for Raiden to be defeated." He looks at his guardian and a faint smile comes to his face. "Yes I am going to help them but not directly. I still have plans for Sakura and the cards. I am just trying to figure something out. Dina is a natural healer; we've all seen how strong that skill is for her so I'm wondering why she just hasn't healed herself. That should have been second nature to her as a healer."  
  
"Maybe she was too badly hurt and couldn't do it." Spinal replies slowly, thinking of what his master just said. "After all it does take conscious thought to heal does it not?"  
  
"Normally yes. But there are people who possess the same healing ability as Dina who can heal without thinking about it. I kept up on the Li Clan and found out that she was the strongest healer in the Clan in over eight decades." He rises and turns towards the door. "But I will think about it more later. There is things to be done now."  
  
Spinal goes after his master. "What things? And where is Ruby?" He catches up to Eriol and lands on his shoulder again. "I have never seen you so concerned, Eriol. You must not really believe them to be strong enough to defeat Raiden."  
  
He enters his study and sits down, looking at his sun guardian. "I honestly don't know, Spinal. All I can do is plan and help them. Sakura has about half the cards transformed. She will need more of them transformed so we will be pushing her harder as much as I dislike saying it. She is trying so hard as it is to over come my challenges." Spinal nods, perched on the desk and stays silent to let his master work on his plans and to offer any help if needed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Syaoran sits by his cousin's bed, holding one of her hands in his own, trying to keep from crying. "Dina…please fight, I know you can. You're strong enough to beat this." His eyes start to close and he falls forward, asleep, having stayed up all night to talk with her in an attempt to get her to wake up but knowing it was all in vain. As he sleeps, Dina's hand flexes slightly in his, stirring a bit as her eyes open slowly only to close again just as fast as she slips back into her coma. He never knew that his cousin woke up briefly.  
  
A small, yellow bear floats in from the open window to land on the bed and stands there, looking at Dina for a moment. "So you are the one Sakura keeps telling me about. Too bad I was never there to meet you before this for from what Sakura told me, you're pretty decent." Kero glows briefly as does Dina, but her normally bright blue/green aura is very weak and flickers faintly. "You're strong, even weakened like this. I'm wondering why you're still in a coma though if you're such a strong healer. Healing yourself should be second-nature." He sits next to her head and looks at Syaoran in sympathy. "She also told me you two are as opposite as day and night yet are very close. I can't believe the gaki has a cousin that isn't like Meiling."  
  
The door to Dina's private room opens, revealing Sakura standing there. "Syaoran?" She whispers as she enters the room, looking around and spots Kero. "Kero? What are you doing here? I thought you were at home."  
  
"I overheard you talking to Tomoyo and saying that you were coming here so I decided to come too. Besides I wanted to see her and find out if she was really as strong as you said." He answers, watching his mistress. "And I thought you might need me if that man comes back after you."  
  
She crosses over to them and looks down at Syaoran and notices he's sleeping and turns to get him a blanket and a pillow on a nearby chair that was left by a nurse. "Thanks Kero." She comes back over and places the pillow down then shakes Syaoran lightly. "Syaoran, wake up."  
  
He blinks up sleepily, slowly waking up and mumbles. "Sakura..?" He sits up, rubbing at his eyes and looks at her again as if he realizes she's really there. "Sakura? What are you doing here?" He notices the blanket she's holding and frowns. "You're cold?" He tries not to blush as he looks at her.  
  
"No, but you looked cold and you would have been uncomfortable sleeping hunched over like that." She holds the blanket out to him. "Have you ate today?" He shakes his head causing a small frown to appear on her face. "Syaoran, you're going to make yourself get sick from doing that."  
  
He just looks at her but stays nothing, shaking his head causing her frown to deepen. She sighs after a few minutes of just staring at him, knowing something else is wrong with him despite his cousin being in a coma. She glances away only to look back and their eyes lock together. They both look away, blushing only to glance at each other again.  
  
"Sakura, you don't have to come to the hospital to make sure I'm alright, I'll be fine. Really." He says, unable to look at her without blushing madly. A gentle hand touches his shoulder causing him to look up at the girl he loves.  
  
"I come here to be with you, Syaoran, you need a friend right now and we are friends aren't we?" She looks down at him, her green eyes locked on his amber ones. "At least I hope we're friends. Even if you don't consider me your friend, you're mine." She gives him a smile causing him to blush again.  
  
"Thank you Sakura and we are friends despite how I act." He says softly as he looks at her, his blush starting to fade. "It means a lot to me that you're here. Really." He looks away, unable to meet her eyes any longer and they come to rest on his unconscious cousin and his spirit falls as he takes her hand.  
  
Sakura notices his sudden mood change and gives his shoulder a squeeze. "Don't lose hope, Syaoran. She'll wake up just have faith in her. I'll also be here with you. You won't be alone. Not while we're friends." He nods, not speaking nor looking away from Dina, both of his hands wrapped around her's, his head bowed forward. She sits next to him and wraps her arms around him in a tight hug.  
  
He starts to cry, unable to hold it in any longer as Sakura hugs him. "I just want her to wake up Sakura…why won't she wake up..?" He sobs, struggling to stop but unable. She keeps her arms around him, trying to comfort him. They sit there for hours, neither noticing the rain that is starting to come out, beating at the windows, both taking comfort from the other.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile on the other side of the town, unknown to Eriol, Syaoran or Sakura, the man they are all thinking about on some level is making his own plans. And neither Eriol nor Sakura knowing of the plans that Syaoran has made himself.  
  
Raiden paces the living room of the apartment he is renting for his stay in Japan, deep in thought about when to and if to try to get the rest of Dina's magic or if he should just go after Sakura to get her magic and cards. "I should do this soon, the Card Mistress is young but powerful and she's growing even stronger each day." He pauses by the window and stares out of it, looking down at the ground below, not paying attention to the rain that's coming down hard. "Soon I will have her magic and cards and I will be the most powerful sorcerer ever, even more powerful then Clow Reed." He goes back and sits down in a chair, now thinking about that boy who stopped him. "Who was that? He was very young but…no it isn't the future leader of the Li Clan..but then who was it?" 


	9. Author Notes and a Teaser

Alright people, I hate to say this but The New Cousin is taking a vacation at the moment. I'm totally lacking inspiration to write it at the moment but hopefully soon I'll get back onto the ball. It's not helping that I'm currently obsessed with Slayers.  
  
I'm also going to go against what I usually do and place a teaser up as well. I'm just glad that the story is near finished. And I will finish it soon, hopefully by the end of March, if I can get myself back on the ball for this story and not the Slayers one I started but I'm currently inspired to write a Slayers one so that's what I'm working on. Hopefully once I finish the Slayers fic, that'll get me over my obsession with it and back to CCS and The New Cousin.  
  
Also I have to thank my very good friend and beta-reader, Duece of Spades. She's very patient and hasn't been pressing me to get chapter nine written and to her for checking. I'm very grateful to her for that. I owe her a lot for helping me with this story and keeping it on track for without her this story would be very screwed up. If none of you have read her story, Domineering, you should. It's an excellent story despite what she says. You can locate her under my fav authors. She also gives me a swift kick to the ass if I so need it.  
  
And so without any further avoiding it here's my brief teaser.  
  
Syaoran walks towards the park, intent on saving his cousin and Sakura from Raiden, having an idea that he will be back at the park. "This is for you Dia...just pull through for me."  
  
A figure stands in the shadows of the trees, watching the boy and yet neither knowing that three others are watching both of them. "I shall have you soon, Li Syaoran. Your power and the power of the Card Mistress will be mine." Raiden turns and moves through the trees, leaving.  
  
"Eriol, if we don't do something to stop this that man will finish them all off." Ruby states from their perch in the trees across the park from where Syaoran is searching. "We have to help them and didn't you plan to?"  
  
"Ruby, we will help them just not today but soon. My plans are made and ready now we just have to wait and see if Raiden walks right into them. I won't let him get Sakura or my dear descendent without a fight." Eriol speaks quietly. "Now let's go home, he's gone." The three of them take off for home. 


End file.
